cung1 ming4 ling4 lei6聰明伶俐聪明伶俐
Jyutpingcung1 ming4 ling4 lei6
Yalechūng mìhng lìhng leih
Definition
Clever, sharp, and quick-witted, especially when describing children.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom is almost exclusively reserved for describing children or young people. It carries a warm, affectionate tone, often used by elders to praise a child's alertness and ability to pick things up quickly. While it implies intelligence, it focuses more on social sharpness and being quick on the uptake rather than just academic performance.
Examples
This child is truly clever and quick-witted.
Your son is so bright and sharp, he will surely be successful in the future.
Related words
Common phrases
born clever and quick-witted
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe adults in a professional or serious context, as it can sound patronizing or like you are treating them as a child. For adults, use terms like 精明 or 醒目 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
